Monthly Archives: September 2011

Did You Miss Provo Rock ‘n Roll Night?

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Provo Rock ‘n Roll Night was a blast! Just look at all of the Provo cyclists, scooter kids, and walkers that came out to enjoy a closed-off Center St, live music, bike polo, and plenty of new friends.

A big thanks to the Downtown Business Alliance for putting the night together, the Provo Bicycle Committee for hosting the Bike Polo (including the city’s first-ever all girl game), and everyone that came out to make the evening something to remember.

If you missed tonight’s rock ‘n roll celebration, keep checking the blog for more fun bicycle events all year long. If you’re new, don’t forget to like us on Facebook too.

Downtown Rock and Roll Event Tonight!

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In just a few short hours the Downtown will be closed off to all car traffic providing our wonderful little city with a place to ride bikes, boards, blades, or just stroll. The event officially starts at 6:30pm. If you are even half considering coming out tonight I would cross off anything else on the calendar and ride down. At the event there is going to be bike polo, live music, special menus from the restaurants downtown, and have we mention no cars. Grab whoever is sitting closest to you and get ready for the most fun you have had since building block and board bike jumps on your street as a kid.

Edgemont Bike Bake Sale Raises Funds for Two New Racks

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Congratulations to Edgemont Elementary students and parents! Their bake sale last weekend raised enough money for TWO new bike racks instead of just one. They report:

On Saturday, September 10, several Edgemont Elementary students ran a bake sale to raise money for a bike rack. A huge thank you to these students and their parents whose enthusiasm, yummy contributions, and sweet teeth earned over $500! Now, bike to school for a healthy way to burn those extra calories, and keep your eyes peeled for a place to park those wheels on the south side of Edgemont Elementary.

Sharlene Goodliffe, a concerned parent, wanted to have a bike rack in the back of Edgemont for the children traveling to school from the south. She contacted Principal Dennis Pratt if that would be possible. He said they could move one but money would be needed to have another. So Sharlene sought donations for a bake sale to help raise money. With the help of kids and parents they raised over $500 for new bike racks.

Way to go Edgemont!! We need to replicate this all over Provo, and have every week be bike to school week.

Thanks also to everyone that went out and bought some goodies to support the cause, especially the blog readers that rode up to support a more bike-friendly school after seeing a post about it.

Reporting From the Bike & Brunch Tour

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Last weekend, touring bike advocates Elly Blue and Joe Biel gave Provo an amazing presentation on bikes and bike economics at Muse Music. We gathered together to learn from their combined experience about bike advocacy from places around the country, watch some of Joe’s incredible short films, and devour a delicious vegan brunch from gourmet chef Joshua Ploeg.

The sidewalks of University Ave. were filled with dozens of bikes.

And, there was an impressive spread of independent books and zines on all sorts of bike topics, including Elly Blue’s brand new zine Bikenomics.

Following the event, many of the cyclists enjoyed a rigorous round of bike pollo. A huge thanks to our group of traveling bike advocates for coming a second year to Provo. Thanks to Muse Music for letting us use their fantastic space. And, thanks to everyone that came and made the afternoon a success.

Pick Up a Free Ride Guide at the Provo City Services Fair Today

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Want a free Provo Ride Guide featuring bike route suggestions, local laws, and a pretty rad photo of historic Provo cyclists? Pick one up at the Provo City Services Fair today!

You can also enjoy booths, activities, and prizes from many city departments. And, enter to win a free bike compliments of the Provo Bicycle Committee.

Come to this free event at the Provo City Town Centre Mall from 4-7:30 today, September 19th. More details are available on the Provo City website.

Creating Bicycle-Friendly Communities Forum Wednesday Sept. 21

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:)The Utah Valley Earth Forum has invited the Provo Bicycle Committee to lead a discussion about bikes in Provo this Wednesday. Here are the details:

At the next meeting of the Utah Valley Earth Forum, The Provo Bicycle Committee will lead a discussion on how we can all help our communities to become more bike-friendly, and promote the economic, environmental, and health benefits of bicycle riding. They have published a “Provo Ride Guide,” which will be available at the Forum meeting. The meeting will be held at 7 PM on Wednesday, Sept. 21 in room 201 of the Provo Library. The public is invited to attend.

Don’t miss this sure-to-be amazing forum about the progress that has been made in Provo and what we can do next. Since the library has new bike racks, there should be plenty of cycle parking.
Creative Commons License photo credit: lightwerk

Don’t Ban Bicycles on the Provo River Trail

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272/365 Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving.Recently, some Provo River Trail users have been concerned about speeding bikes and there have even been suggestions to ban bikes on the trail altogether.

Now, the Utah County Commission is considering their options for dealing with complaints about bicyclists (and longboarders) on the trail.

As cyclists, this is very concerning news. The Provo River Trail is a multi-use path that is designed for all types of users…including bike riders. Many families use the path to give their kids an introduction to cycling in a safe environment. Additionally, the path is one of the easiest ways for bike riders to cycle as transportation. The tunnels make it possible for cyclists to get from point A to point B without riding through dangerous intersections. Making off-street trails available to cyclists promotes bicycle culture in the valley, eases traffic problems on city streets, and reduces parking overload at our local businesses.

Instead of banning bikes, let’s work together to think of solutions that keep the trail friendly and welcoming to all users.For example: In dangerous areas, signs could be placed to alert bicyclists to watch their speeds. Notices could mark areas that have tight turns or narrow tunnels. Education from this blog, the city’s website, and the Provo Bicycle Committee can help cyclists develop safe road-sharing skills. Additionally, we could start thinking about the possibility of widening the trail as the number of users grows.

What do you think about the potential bike ban? Share your thoughts by voting in the Daily Herald poll or emailing your brief comments for possible publication: dhpolls@heraldextra.com.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Mykl Roventine

Provo Bike-to-School Week

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Don’t miss these exciting events and giveaways for bike-to-school week September 17-25! BYU students and Provo school district students will be treated to free tune-ups and bike registrations, group rides, interesting lectures, and more. Plus, there activities throughout the week for non-students and the whole family to enjoy!

  • Saturday Sept. 17, 11-1, Bike Economics 101 & Brunch, Live from Portland, the Muse Music Café (suggested donation $10-20). Great for adult and high school riders.
  • Sunday Sept. 18, Ride to Church, at whatever time it starts. Great for the whole family.
  • Monday Sept. 19, Night Ride, 9 pm, Joaquin Park. Great for adult and high school riders.
  • Wednesday Sept. 21, Free Tune-ups, 8-1, Brigham Square. Great for BYU students.
  • Wednesday Sept. 21, “Livable Communities & Bicycles,” 7, Provo Library. Great for adults and high school students.
  • Wednesday Sept. 21, Bike Polo, 7, Wells Fargo Bank Parking Lot. Great for adults / high schoolers to play, great for kids to watch.
  • Thursday Sept. 22, Provo High School Students get Free Bike Tune-ups & Free Bike Licensing in the Courtyard during lunch. (Just for Provo High students)
  • Friday Sept. 23, Provo Downtown Rock and Roll, 6:30 p.m. (Center Street will be closed to automobiles for this event). Great for the whole family.
  • Sunday Sept 25, Ride to Church, Again and Again and…

Don’t forget to keep checking BikeProvo.org, our bike events calendar, and the Bike Provo Facebook page for more updates throughout the week!

Downtown Live! Get Out And Have Some Fun.

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Provo is a great place for a lot of reasons and now we can add one more reason to our list. The Downtown Business Alliance is putting on some incredible events through out the month of September which will include two Center Street closures. Even better is that one of those nights will be dedicated to BIKES! They are calling it the Rock and Roll event and it will be taking place Friday, Sept. 23 on Center St. The event is going to have live music, bike polo exhibition games, free bike licensing, bicycle trick ramps and riders, as well as the great atmosphere of Downtown Provo. Don’t have a bike? No worries you can also skate, blade, or just walk. I say we all show up and let those organizing that this is something we want every month. Check out the Facebook event for more information.